Democrat Asks Huckabee To Apologize To Sheriffs

The Arkansas Democratic Party chairman says Governor Huckabee owes Arkansas sheriffs an apology for suggesting that sheriffs engage in election fraud. Party chairman Ron Oliver was critical today of Huckabee`s comment yesterday in an interview at the Republican National Convention. Huckabee said, quote, "you can never be sure about an election until every last sheriff gets his hand off the ballot box," unquote. He joked in making the comment that it was sure to get him in trouble. Oliver said Huckabee owes an apology to the 75 county sheriffs in Arkansas whose conduct the governor recklessly called into question. In 2000, the governor upset Democrats when he suggested on national radio that Democratic election officials might steal the presidential election in Arkansas. In that interview, he referred to Arkansas as a "banana republic in elections." Oliver said today that there seems to be a pattern with Huckabee go to New York and say something stupid. The Democratic chairman said Huckabee probably thinks its funny to make wisecracks at the expense of the state`s public servants. But Oliver said they really show how little Huckabee thinks of Arkansas and how eagerly he smears the state`s reputation. Huckabee spokesman Jim Harris said this afternoon that the governor was flying back to Arkansas from New York and could not respond.